Agenda item

To consider a report seeking approval to implement the final details of the Libraries Strategy.

The committee considered the report which sought approval to implement the Cheshire East Libraries Strategy 2024-28. This followed approval of the Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy 2024-28 by Full Council in February 2024 and a public consultation which was carried out between 5 August and 15 September 2024.

Cllr Ken Edwards attended as a visiting member and spoke as ward member for Bollington. Cllr Edwards was pleased to see the relationship between local communities and libraries working together and hoped this would continue.

Cllr John Smith attended as a visiting member and spoke as ward member for Handforth. Cllr Smith felt that the site assessment scoring matrix was biased towards towns with larger populations and did not account for the percentage of active library users in the towns. Cllr Smith asked the committee to secure the continued use of Handforth library by voting against the recommendations, and to ensure the matrix was reviewed.

An amendment to recommendation 4, as set out in the report, was put forward which sought the inclusion of the wording ‘in consultation with the committee Chair, Vice-Chair and Opposition Spokesperson’. This became part of the substantive proposition.

During the debate, it was proposed and seconded that a recorded vote be carried out. The following results were recorded:

For:

Cllr Liz Braithwaite

Cllr Mary Brooks

Cllr Laura Crane

Cllr Ashley Farrall

Cllr David Jefferay

Cllr Heather Seddon

Cllr Mick Warren

Against:

Cllr Janet Clowes

Cllr Stewart Gardiner

Cllr Alison Heler

Cllr Becky Posnett

Cllr Lesley Smetham

Abstaining:

Cllr Hannah Moss

RESOLVED (by majority):

That the Environment and Communities Committee:

1. Note the feedback from the recent public consultation exercise

2. Approve the Cheshire East Libraries Strategy 2024-28, as contained at Appendix C

3. Approve the final details of the changes to library opening hours, as included at Appendix E

4. Delegate authority to the Interim Director of Planning and Environment, in consultation with the committee Chair, Vice-Chair and OppositionSpokesperson to:

a)    take all necessary steps to implement the Libraries Strategy, and, to make all consequent changes to service provision including staff restructure and consultations

b)    take all necessary steps to enter into top up funding agreements with Town and Parish Councils